Long Day's Journey

Long Day's Journey
Written by Payson Lyon

Three A.M. on the rural route
Tossing paper headlines out
The driver’s side of a dusty van
Early morning business man
With just enough to make ends meet
He’s trying hard to plant his feet
In something more than a poet’s dream
Still the endless visions stream

As he holds his candle to the night
On his long day’s journey into light

She waits alone for his return
A child bride with arms that burn
To hold him oh once again
She’s sure to wake when he comes in
She could have moved away to school
Instead she broke the rules
And loved a dreamer -- oh she couldn’t see
The road he’s on runs endlessly

And she holds her candle to the night
On her long day’s journey into light

Some live their dreams from day to day
Others dream their lives away
Now I’m standing here in this empty hall
With nothing left to dream at all
You choose your heart or you choose your head
Either way you wind up fed
And the van’s been gone for three years now
How’s your new life anyhow?

Do you still hold candles to the night?
In our own way each of us was right
Won’t you keep those candles burning bright
On your long day’s journey, it’s such a long day’s journey
On this long day’s journey into light